Ubuntu is the most downloaded Linux distribution. If you are a Linux gamer then you may be using Ubuntu too. Its time you might want to switch to a new Linux distro in the future. A Valve developer announced that Steam won’t officially support Ubuntu 19.10 or future releases. Ubuntu-based Linux distributions are also affected.
Why is this happening?
Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, has decided that they will no longer provide 32-bit packages and libraries from Ubuntu 19.10. But how can that create a problem? Because most of the computer nowadays use the 64-bit system. Well, the problem is not about supporting 32-bit computers, it’s about allowing 32-bit software to run on 64-bit machines.
By removing 32-bit libraries, Ubuntu is withholding the ability to run a 32-bit application on a 64-bit system. While most Linux applications will get along just fine, this is a huge blow to Valve’s Steam. Most of the Linux games on Steam are only available in 32-bit form—they work on 64-bit Linux distributions, but only with the 32-bit libraries. I mean you still can run those games by using something like container but that’s not the preferred route for most of the users.
It will also affect the Wine compatibility layer that allows to Windows run Windows application in Linux. Wine won’t be able to run 32-bit Windows software anymore. For now, you don’t have to do anything. Steam supports Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and the latest Ubuntu 19.04 releases. You may want to pick a new Linux distribution for the future if this issue won’t solve.